Automobile life-guard or fender.



No. 854,162., PATENTED MAY 21, 1907.

B. F. HART, JR. v AUTOMOBILE LIFE GUARD OR EENEEE.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.8,1906.

Atto n y" [NVENTQR WITNESSES.-

- UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE BENJAMIN -F.. HART, JR, or I-IOBOKEN, JERSEY.

AUTOMOBILE LIFE'I-GUARDY on FENDER,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1907.

Application filed. October 8, 1906. Serial No- 837,942-

.To all whom rim/y concern/.

Be it known that'I, BENJAMIN F. HART, Jr. a citizen of the United States, residing at Hoboken, m the county of Hudson and State attached or detached from the motor car and at the same time be resilient or yielding to such an extent that when the fender comes in contact with a person the shock will not be such as to maim the person or injure the fender and also cast aside any obstruction and thereby prevent the 'same coming in contact with the wheels of the motor car.

To this end my invention consists of structural features and relative arrangements of the details making up thelifeguard as will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings {in which like reference charactersindicate the same parts in the several fi res, 'Figure'l is a top plan view of the li e guard and showing only the forward sectionof the motor car with the bowed strips and netting removed. Fig. 2 is a front. view of the life-guard or fender attached to the car with the bowed strips and wire netting broken away. Fig. 3 is aside view of a forward section of a motor car with the life guard attached. Fig. 4 is an en- .4

larged'viewfshowing the manner of securing the suplporting braces to the forward springs I and ax Fig. 5 is anenlar ed view 'of the swivel or socket clips for ho l 'ng the frame l tubes.

. fastened together by any suitable fastenings work of the lifeguard to the motor car.

In the drawin s' 1 represents the forward section of the b0 yof a car which is supported by meansof the springs 2, 2 to .the forward axle: 3 provided with theusual steering or pivoted wheels 4, 4.,

The life guard preferably comprises two similar sections 5; 5, each of which consists of referabl made of steel a four sided frame se frames are The inner sides of t which form in cooperation with the outwardly bowed strips or lattices 8, 8 secured to and-extending from the top to the bottom" frame pieces of the sections 5, 5, and the wire netting 9, spread over and on the outside of the strips 8, 8, the essential and important features of my improved life guard.

In order notto confuse and hide the construction of the guard, have only shown a section of the wire netting at one of the corners, but in the practical operation of my invention the wire netting covers the. center two frames of sections 5, 5.

'10 and 11 are brace rods attached as indi cated in Fig. 4 to each of thesprings 2 2, and

are connected at their upper and joined ends with a horizontal tube or rod 12 which extends across the front of the car and is capable of being secured to the upper frame pieces of the sections 5, 5 by means of any form of socket clips 13, 13, as shown, for example, on an enlarged scale in. Fig. 5.

14, 1.4 are low r horizontal brace rods connected with the axle, the outer ends of which support a rod or tiibe15 from which may'ex tendat the middle sectioncentral brace rods 1.4 14 suitably connected to and supporting the inner lower corners of the sections 5,-5, while outside brace rods 16 16 are connected to the rod 15 at each of its outer ends and to the lower frame ieces of each of the sections 5, 5, as indicate in Fig; 1, in order to properly support the parts of the life guard therei by ieldingly receive the impact of the body and throwthe'same clear of the motor car without injury. v t

To the outer ends of the brace rods extending-from the lower rod or tube '15 are also attached suitable and similar socket clips 17, 17 which engage and remov'ably support the lower framepieces of the sections 5, 5.

18, 18 are similarsocket clips fastened near If it is desired to remove the life guard or fender from the motor car one simply unlatches the socket clips 13, 13 and 18, 1-8 on the upper horizontal tube or rod 12 and also the lower socket clips 17, on the outer ends of each of the middle brace rods 14, 14 and the outer rods 16, when the fender can be readil lifted from the supporting sockets of the di ferent clips. Should the mechanismfor cranking to start the motor be located in the front of the car, one only unlatches the clips 17- which enga e the lower frame pieces of t e sections 5, W en the same can be turned up with the upper socket clips 13 and 18 acting as hinges, thus permitting the chauffeur to obtain access to the starting crank.

On examination of the construction of the sections 5, 5 with their outwardly bowed springs 7, 7, it will be seen that I have devised a fender or life guardin which the mid- 'dle of the sections project beyond or are higher than the sides of the frames, and therefore will readily absorb the shock when an object is struck and cause the same to bound off to either side of the car with the recoil and thus be entirely clear of the wheels or body of the car. It will be also understood while, I have shown one way of securing and supporting the life guard or fender to the front art or body of a motor car any other means or securing the same can be substituted, as would be readilysuggested to those skilled in the art without departing from my invention.

Havin now fully described my invention, what I c aim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. A life guard or fender for automobiles comprising two separate and substantially rectangular frames suitably secured together at one .of their sides, outwardly bowed springs crossing each other in each of the frames and having their ends secured to di agonally o posite corners of their rectangular frame, owed slats or lattices on the outside of the bowed springs and secured to the frames, and means for securing and holding said frames on the front of an automobile.

2. A life guard or fender for automobiles comprising two separate and substantially rectangular frames suitably secured together at (one of their sides, outwardly bowed springs crossing each other in each of the frames and having their endssecured to diagonally o posite corners of their rectangu lar frame, owed slats or lattices on the outside of the bowed springs and. secured to the frames, wire netting supported on the outside ofthe slats or lattices, and means for securing and holding said frames on the front of an automobile. i

3. A life guard or fender for automobiles comprising a substantially rectangular frame,

outwardly bowed springs crossing each other and having their ends secured to diagonally ported on the outside of the slats or lattices, and. means for securing and holding said frame on the front of an automobile. 5. A life guard or fender for automobiles comprising two separate and substantially,"

at one of their sides, outwardly bowed-'- s'prings crossing each other in' each of the frames and having their ends secured to diagonally opposite corners of their rectangular frame, bowed slats or lattices on the outrectangular frames suitably secured together side of the bowed springs and secured to the frames, means for supporting the' upper sides of the rectangular frames from the out suporting springs of the car body, and means or bracing the lower sides oftherectangular frames against the front axle of the car.

. 6. Ahfe guard or fender for automobiles comprising two separate and substantially rectangular frames suitably secured together atone of their sides, outwardly bowed springs crossing each. other in each of the frames and having their ends secured to diagonally opposite corners of their rectangular frame, bowed slats or lattices on the outside of the bowed springs and secured to the frames, wire netting su ported on the'outside of the slats or lattices, means for suporting the u per sides of the rectangular rames from t e front supportin springs of the car' body, and means for racing the lower sides of the rectangular frames against the front axle of the car.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

BENJAMIN? F. HART, J R.

Witnesses:

MAURICE J. B EEN, JOHN H. LINDSTROM. 

